Have You Heard About the Adorable Toy Australian Shepherd?

Last Updated on May 4, 2024

Toy Australian Shepherds are intelligent and energetic, much like standard-size Australian Shepherds, with the added benefit of being in an adorable smaller version!

Toy Australian Shepherds, sometimes called Toy Aussies, is a recent addition to the Australian Shepherd breed. It is believed this breed was achieved by breeding the smallest Miniature and Standard Australian Shepherds to attain a consistently small dog. Toy Aussies see their roots in the Mini and Standard Australian Shepherds and have started to become more standardised within the last 30 years.

Toy Australian Shepherds still need to be recognised by the larger breed registries, including the American Kennel Club (AKC), but are recognised by some of the more minor breed registries.

Similar to Standard size Australian Shepherds, Toy Aussies have strong herding instincts, are very intelligent, and have a lot of endurance. The most common difference is the size – Toy Australian Shepherds are no taller than 12″ at the shoulder. This makes them sturdy little dogs.

Based on their general size, intelligence, and endurance, we anticipate this breed will excel in agility and search and rescue training, where their small size enables them to get into smaller spaces safely.

Coats & Colours of Toy Australian Shepherds

Toy Australian Shepherds have medium-length coats. They are dual-coated, meaning they have an under-coat and a top-coat. This helps protect them during inclement weather, which reaches back to the breed’s herding origins.

Toy Aussies can come in red, black, red merle or blue merle and have white or tan markings.

Size of Toy Australian Shepherds

As large breed registries do not officially recognise this breed, the breed standard is currently created by breeders.

Toy Australian Shepherds ideally should be no taller than 12″ at the shoulder but can range between 10-14″ tall and weigh between 12-17 pounds.

Just as with a Standard size Australian Shepherd, it is essential to provide this breed with many exercises to keep them in shape and mentally engaged. This breed of Australian Shepherds loves playing games, chasing a Frisbee, or practising new skills.

Grooming & Care

This breed of Australian Shepherd has double coats, which means they will shed and require frequent brushing. You’ll likely notice increased shedding during the Fall and Spring months. These periods will require you to brush your Toy Australian Shepherd multiple times a week.

Bathing can be done as needed to keep your dog clean. Avoid excessive baths, leading to dry skin. Carefully trim nails. If you are uncomfortable trimming your dog’s nails, ask your groomer or veterinarian to assist you.

Dental care is an essential part of keeping Australian Shepherd’s toys healthy. Brush your dog’s teeth at least once weekly to help reduce plaque build-up. Improper dental care can lead to heart issues, gum diseases, and decaying teeth.

Many Toys Australian Shepherds require a dental cleaning one to two times yearly to maintain proper dental health. A licensed veterinarian should do this cleaning.

As you can see, there are many exciting things and facts about the Toy Australian Shepherds that you probably didn’t know yet. We’ve just told you the most important things that you need to know about this breed.

Here, we’ve provided everything you need to know about the breed. The blog posts concentrate on the Toy Australian Shepherds dog’s colours, coats, and sizes. On top of that, we have provided you with the dog’s grooming & care tips.

Toy Australian Shepherd Health

While Toy Australian shepherds are healthy dog breeds, they can be prone to some of the diseases encountered by a variety of dog breeds, including their standard variants such as:

• Eye problems – Cataracts, Glaucoma
• Canine Bloat (Gastric Dilatation Volvulus)
• Bone disorders such as Arthritis
• Cancer
• Dental Diseases

Besides this, your dog may also display signs of lethargy in some cases or loss of appetite; if your dog has such symptoms, it can be essential to get them checked up by an animal vet.

Temperament and Training of Toy Australian Shepherd

Toy Australian shepherds are generally of a pleasant temperament. However, they can become instantly hyperactive at the thought of getting a different experience or at the prospect of going it. They may also tug at an owner if they become bored to get them to have a fun playtime with them.

As Toy Aussies are more or less the same intelligence as Standard Aussie, you can expect them to be highly sensitive to a lurking danger, understand your emotions or display caring behaviour for family members enough to protect them from harm.

Training these dog breeds can also be an easy task as they can quickly pick up on your command; start first by making them learn simple commands such as “sit”, “stand up” “stop”, or make them train through techniques such as rolling on the stomach. Be sure to reward your Aussie with a small treat whenever they display behaviour appropriate to your teachings to make them permanently adapt to that type of behaviour.

Benefits of Owning a Toy Australian Shepherd

Owning a Toy Australian Shepherd can be a unique experience for owners fond of high-energy dogs. Despite their sizes, Toy Aussies are more or less the same breeds and therefore have the same intelligence level as a standard Australian shepherd; the key takeaway point of their intelligence is that they are capable of understanding and learning commands easily.

Due to being high-energy breeds, these dogs can keep you ideally occupied for the rest of your duration if you have nothing else to do. 30-60 minutes of exercising or walking are sufficient. The other advantage of a toy Aussie is that they can accommodate well to a small apartment due to their sizes, making them far more practical for an owner to get.

Conclusion

While Toy Australian shepherds are not as known as their bigger brethren, they are still some of the most beloved dog breeds due to their bright personalities and ability to grasp multiple teachings and quickly adapt to different environments.

However, caring for the Toy Australian shepherd can be essential if they display disease symptoms by taking them to an animal vet as soon as possible.